Some customers have relied on HP products for years, while some are new to us, and we welcome them with open arms and try to help make the transition a smooth one.

In celebration of the recent HP Z1 G2 launch, we are talking to customers who have seen productivity improvements with the first generation Z1.

This week, I sat down with Richard Peritz, owner of production company RCP Productions, Inc., to learn why switching from a competitive product to the HP Z1 Workstation ended up giving him piece of mind where worry used to exist. Rich now uses the Z1 on his demanding post-production projects for educational and public affairs programs on his EduTech YouTube channel.

367 Addison Avenue: First, for a little background, you’ve been doing this for how long?

Richard Peritz: I’ve been in the broadcast television business for more than 30 years. In that time, I’ve created TV shows for clients that ultimately are broadcast on PAX TV, FOX, PBS, and other cable networks.

367AA: In all that time, what have been some of your biggest challenges when using tools for post-production?

RP: One of the biggest challenges we’ve been subjected to over the years, while working creatively under pressure to complete post-production of educational and public affairs programs, was to complete our projects without the system crashing. We were frequently hit with blue screens and the shock of seeing hours of work and ideas lost.

Things improved when we purchased and used higher performance PCs along with high-end graphics cards, but even with all of this, we’ve had frightful incidents of the system letting us down. Being distracted and stopped in our tracks by these contemptible malfunctions is very distressing and a waste of precious time as well.

367AA: When using digital tools, what allows you to work most freely and creatively?

RP: Being able to import HD content directly from Compact Flash cards into the computer saves us a lot of time and hassles and is a major improvement in our work flow. Following that, it’s a relief when we can see the system and software, such as Adobe Premiere all functioning the way they’re supposed to and we can get the projects completed on time.

367AA: What has the Z1 allowed you to do beyond other tools you've used in the past?

RP: After so very much frustration and wasted time over the years, it is nothing less than a celebration to finally have a magically dependable, intelligently designed excellent solution to our problems. The Z1 gives us relief and peace of mind. Even more important than its outstanding quality, superb high-resolution screen and other features, most important to us is that we can focus on being creative, getting the projects completed without apprehension and anxiety.

For example, we recently produced a timely program on innovations in health care. We recorded the interview using two Sony HVR Z5U HD camcorders. We then imported the raw footage into the Z1 and then edited it with Adobe Premiere on time with no problems whatsoever. We sent it to DirecTV and other networks for broadcast nationwide and uploaded it to our Edutech YouTube channel.

The Z1 gives us the power and access of a big workstation box in a small footprint, with no compromise on features or performance. The Z1 gets us where we need to go, dependably and on time!

Your Turn: Do you have any stories to share about your Z-series workstation and how it’s helped your business? We’d love to hear them. Want to learn more about the Z1? Head here (www.hp.com/z1) for details.